Nursing

Children's nursing is a healthcare profession dedicated to the health and wellbeing of infants, children, and young people from birth through to late adolescence. It requires both the clinical skills common to all nursing and a set of competencies specific to working with younger patients and their families, including an understanding of child development, family-centred care, and the ethical and communication challenges of working with people who may not be able to fully understand or consent to what is happening to them. Children's nurses work in hospitals, community settings, paediatric units, and specialist services.

At Brunel University London, this three-year full-time degree asks and helps you answer the questions that shape children's nursing practice: how are the specific health needs of a child different from those of an adult, how can symptoms be understood through a child's behaviour and reactions, and how can the whole family be supported through times of great change and stress. These questions reflect the unique demands of the field, and the programme builds your clinical knowledge, practical skills, and professional judgement in response to them. You will undertake substantial clinical placements in a range of paediatric settings, developing hands-on experience under supervision alongside your academic studies.

Graduates who qualify as children's nurses are eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and can pursue careers across the full range of paediatric settings, including acute hospital wards, neonatal units, paediatric intensive care, community children's nursing, school health, and child and adolescent mental health services. Career progression into advanced clinical roles, specialist nurse practitioner positions, and nursing leadership is well supported. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in child health, specialist clinical areas, or nursing education, extending their expertise and their scope of practice.